Giffords sets up gun control PAC

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is closing her congressional campaign account and transferring the nearly $300,000 to a newly-created PAC, with its first donations going to senators of both parties who supported a federal gun control measure earlier this year, POLITICO has learned.

The new entity will be called the Rights and Responsibilities PAC, which will hold the balance of $287,702 from her congressional campaign. The first donations will be to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) worked on the bipartisan gun control measure, which did not clear the Senate. Both senators had strong ratings from the National Rifle Association prior to their work on the bill, which arose after the deadly shootings in Newtown, Conn. left 20 children dead.

Giffords’ congressional campaign also gave money to Manchin a few months ago. Other donations will go to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), both of whom supported the measure. Hagan is facing a tough fight for reelection in 2014.